Ambulance Brew House

Bar, Eatery

202 Main St
Nanuet, New York, 10954-3324
United States

(845) 501-7200 | map
ambulancebrewhouse.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.47
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
27
pDev:
8.72%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by slander:
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

4.36/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
In Nanuet, like a half mile down the road from where Nick, aka, the only goddamn guy who touches my head, used to hang his scissors (he really was the best barber ever and he will be missed). Somewhere past the pizza places and before the OM of my youth. In a space that it is said, used to house ambulances. Could be. Maybe. Sure, why not? Anyway, it’s now part of my Fairway-drink one-two...

Narrow place with a bar to the rear; straight with a wide plank wood top, vertical slat wood base with stone accents, and a piping foot bar. 2 handpumps on the front end of the bar and seating for nobody, by design; the idea is that you get your beer and then stand clear, but people don’t, and don’t want to. And then when you drag a stool over from one of the adjacent tables, and you will, they get super crabby. Someone watching you on camera calls in on the bat-phone and makes you put the stool back. And then they hit you with a stick. I kid, but it is a bit of a nuisance.

The barback is a double stoneface archway, medieval castle style. One side holds a row of 16 non-descript handles on a stainless steel box and 2-tap cylinders on each end. Glassware and medicine jar growlers shelved above on wood slat backing save the center panel, which is mirrored. Wines & stemware on the other side boxed and mounted, over cooler space below. A bit of a nook in between with bottles displayed (Cascade Kriek, Schneider Aventinus Eisbock, Boon Marriage Parfait, Crooked Stave Bretta, Saison Dupont, BFM Abbaye de St. Bon-Chien, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Alvinne Undressed, and I think a few more). Sliding library ladder to access the beer menu & wine list blackboards above the barback. The beer board shows brewery, beer, ABV, origin, & 32oz growler pricing. Everything’s drawn in colored chalk, the color designating shorty/pint ($4/$7), snifter ($7), and specialty/cask ($5/$9). And they do flights, any 5 for $12 (this may be the deal depending on what’s on). And the wine board currently lists 9 wine selections.

Wood plank laminate floors with brick around the bar. Other walls in beige with wood beam trim. Vintage Nanuet Ambulance Corp framed black & white prints (That shit’s legit), flatscreens in opposite corners, and beer books displayed on some shelving forward the bar area. Reads by Steve Hindy, Stephen Beaumont, Randy Mosher, Josh Bernstein, both Garrett Oliver books, and three Lew Bryson state guides; not a bad little collection. Some middle ages era large round chandeliers with candle shaped single filament tube bulbs and rope spokes, drop martini glass lamps over the bar, and wall mounted crescent minis.

3 hightops just inside the door adjacent to a nook with a hightop 2 seater in there, and then 4 hightops to the rear, adjacent to the bar, sharing horseshoe benchplay and stooled outers. Wood shelf over the seating holds a few ceramic steins a-dangling and a few growlers and tap handles along the way. 4 shorty round tables penned out front and some backyard space; 3 picnic tables and a hightop on cushy set up.

20 taps in all, ½ of them American craft New York State (Other Half G is for Green & Other Half/Threes collab Grand Scheme, Barrier Dubbel Down, Great South Bay Elixir #2 Session IPA, Bacchus Indigenous Wild Ale with Seyval Blanc grapes, Rushing Duck Naysayer Wakatu single hop Pale Ale, Ithaca Excelsior 17th Anniversary) and regional (Black Hog SWAG, Jacks Abby Sunny Ridge Pils, Smuttynose Hayseed, Port City Colossal One), the other ½ is American craft afar (Finch’s Wet Hot American Wheat, Great Divide Old Ruffian Barleywine, Saint Somewhere/Trois Dames Fraises D’Hiver, Knee Deep Breaking Bud, Alpine Captain Stout, Stone RIS, Firestone Walker Wookey Jack, Midnight Sun Gluttony), and a single cider (Naked Flock Citra hopped Apple Cider), + cask Heavy Seas Smooth Sail & Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout with habanero peppers. I drank the Jacks Abby Sunny Ridge Pils, Other Half G is for Green, and then a pair of the Bacchus Indigenous Wild Ale with Syrval Blanc grapes ‘cause it’s sooooo damn good.

I like this place. Locationwise,it’s easy to back street it to the PIP. Food, yep they do that. Have not gotten to it yet but what I’ve seen looked real good. Tunes, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, classic rock et al, I may be singing aloud, not sure. And servicewise, Chris is good shit; knows his beer and can speak intelligently to it. The crowd is a mix of grownups in the know and kids looking for a better beer than they get elsewhere. Very good selection and that’s not a common find in Rockland. I dig.
Jul 07, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of mjf617
Reviewed by mjf617

3/5  rDev -32.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Respecting the wishes of the individual referenced in my previous review, who's admirably taking the high road, I've decided to remove the review. My personal feelings remain the same.
Jan 18, 2020
Photo of b11
Reviewed by b11 from New York

4.38/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Just about all of these reviews are saying the same thing, and I'm agreeing with them. Such a varied and interesting selection of beers, every time we go there I'm ordering something different, and of very high quality. Many beers from smaller producers, this place is very well "curated". Yes, there are too many IPAs that I'm not drinking, but that's today's reality. What remains could be stout, sour, fruity, "Belgian", saison, Imperial stout, Hefeweizen, these people are paying a lot of attention to creating a great beer menu, and they have succeeded. And my wife maintains their Nachos are great!
Aug 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.38 by Rubezahl from Pennsylvania

Jul 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Mar 12, 2018
Photo of brewerdrew
Reviewed by brewerdrew from Maryland

4.31/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Really liked this place

Total surprised to find it . . Happened upon when visiting my parents where I grew up and was delighted to find they had Mary from Hillstead Farm on tap.

Will definitely go back when I visit Rockland again.
Sep 27, 2017
Photo of Brukaki
Reviewed by Brukaki from New York

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
food is actually very good, julia was our waitress is very nice and knowledgeable, always changing it up with beer and having local events, 20 something beers on tap sometimes with some live music. The outside seating area in the back is on point and decor/feel of the place.
Sep 13, 2017
Photo of ASAPJOHNNY
Reviewed by ASAPJOHNNY from New York

4.58/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Amazing selection fun friendly attentive staff so many options here the whole set up and aesthetic of this place makes me feel right at home there 5 sample platters are great and fun way to try all varied kinds of beer single cut on draft !!! Hopefully they have softly spoken magic spells draft will def come back also the back room outside is so nice and elegant feels like I'm in my own backyard
Jul 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.38 by Newport_beerguy from Rhode Island

Apr 24, 2017
Photo of Jsalz21
Reviewed by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
Ambulance is one heck of a bar for the beer lover. Offerings here are almost always eclectic and hard-to-get ones that are worth the drive from NJ and elsewhere nearby. I usually wind up going without an idea of what to get ahead of time, and this strategy usually winds up working out better than anyone would probably expect. They just know their stuff and will always have something on tap that's worth your money. Some nights it gets pretty busy so you sort of have to make sure you beat the bustle. Tap takeover nights are usually a blast and they might make the best wings in a 50 mile radius. High marks.
Jan 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.28 by SRBush1974 from New Jersey

Dec 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Aug 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by Macsimus from North Carolina

May 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.7 by Lucoli from New York

Feb 04, 2016
Photo of njcraftguy
Reviewed by njcraftguy from New Jersey

4.84/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
This is one of my favorite craft beer bars. I live in NNJ but thankfully work right around the corner and stop in often. The beer list is always amazing and constantly changing. The staff is super friendly and the Manager Chris is extremely knowledgeable and always up to chat beer. Food choices are somewhat limited but very well done and tasty. I've enjoyed brews from Grimm, Singlecut and Other Half just to name a few and something from Hill Farmstead is almost always on tap. Great spot, a must stop if you're in the area.
Jan 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.41 by Zekenyce from New Jersey

Nov 21, 2015
Photo of Dougwillhike
Rated by Dougwillhike from New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Terrific beer selection and delicious ribs!
Jun 14, 2015
Photo of MAN615
Reviewed by MAN615 from New Jersey

4.95/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Small, but impressive. Stone and brick interior, areas in rear with TV's and awning, to a front with tables. 20 drafts and about a dozen wines, all top notch, and great pricing. Small menu, but everything is excellent. People friendly as can be. Darn I wish I had a place like this within 15 miles of my home, I would live there! What a craft beer bar should be!!
May 13, 2015
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.11/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.75
Nice room, great selection of boutique crafts to stay or to go in growlers. Kinda sparse and minimalist inside. Nice outdoor space in the rear. No time to sample the food, but it looked like there were some tasty bar bite kinda options.

I wish I had a place like this closer to me, I would be a regular...which is about the best thing you can say about a place
Feb 02, 2015
Photo of hunter112
Reviewed by hunter112 from New York

4.98/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
This place feels so warm and friendly, and if you truly love craft beer, you must find your way here. The taps are maintained perfectly, I've never had an off-flavored brew from any of them, and I've been a regular since July, 2014. Service is top notch, and while the food menu is a bit limited, the selections are prepared expertly. The prices are higher than the area BudMillerCoors serving places, but the quality is worth every penny. If you want to taste on the cheap, come M-F between 3 and 6, that's happy hour, with two bucks off the ordinarily $7 pints and snifters. Or, anytime, just get a flight, and go on your own beer tour.

I used to have to travel far and wide to find great beer, now it finds me at ABH.
Dec 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BlackHawk89 from New York

Dec 11, 2014
Photo of tappangordo
Reviewed by tappangordo from New York

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%
Great craft beer bar. They have a fantstic selection with 20 beers on tap. They even carry some hard to find stuff like Uncle Jacobs Stout (bottle). Absolutely worth checking out.
Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by EdwardK77 from New York

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Mikexw from New York

Nov 15, 2014
Photo of Will_Rivera
Reviewed by Will_Rivera from New York

5/5  rDev +11.9%
This place is awesome amazing selection on tap great food nice atmosphere Chris gets the good craft beer and he's a beer head so if you like craft beer this place is where you need to be plus had Plead the Fifth barrel aged last night on tap and Prairie Bomb need I say more
Nov 07, 2014
Photo of tikk
Reviewed by tikk from Canada (YT)

4.63/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Another great new beer bar in the Rockland\LHV area. Great beer selection, whomever is buying for this place is doing a great job. 20ish craft taps, a few great bottles and some wine(I'm not knowledgeable about wine, so I can't speak to it)
Food is pretty good, better than the guys around the corner. Staff is helpful, but not pushy. Place is pretty laid back and they have a biergarten with some big screens out back. Bar is small with no seating, but there are many seats around the place. They have many events and even made their own beer with Barrier for their one year anniversary party.

Definitely a great spot, and worth a trip. Located right by the Nanuet Mall, and a two minute walk from NJ RR Nanuet stop.
Sep 20, 2014
Photo of koopa
Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
Visited for the first time last weekend.

A handful of tables with umbrellas adorn the front patio and another handful adorn the back patio. Between the two lies a long slender place of business with booth seating along one side and a bar along the other. The bar is visibly without stools. The owner envisions a "moving bar" constantly in motion due to the lack of seating. The bar staff is forced to "correct" patrons who shuffle stools over towards the bar or get "chewed out" by the owner.

Fortunately I went with somebody who had witnessed this a few times so I was forewarned not to attempt to do so. While the novelty of standing at the bar is enjoyable for the first hour, I must say that it seems silly considering most patrons simply stand in place at the bar for several hours. After all, it's human nature to want to be social, see the board clearly, etc. So, despite handfuls of empty booths a few feet away, I watched every patron in the place stand at the bar the entire time they stayed. What's the point of having a bar with no stools if people are just going to stand in place at the bar anyway? The "moving bar" concept wasn't working IMHO. Get some bar stools and increase the length of time customers are comfortable staying!

That quirk aside, the interior is well decorated (stone and wood) and the 20 drafts are of surprisingly good quality. The staff was semi-knowledgeable yet extremely nice to chat with. The crowd was a mix of all ages and tended to be on the "green side" of craft that day. The food was decent for pub food. Apps, Wraps, Bar Pies, etc. The food and beer prices were a touch high IMHO. On a better note, $12 gets you a 5x4oz beer flight of anything off of the board. Not a bad deal depending on what you choose. The music was decent and I will return!
Sep 05, 2014
Ambulance Brew House in Nanuet, NY
Place rating: 4.47 out of 5 with 27 ratings